Top Highlights
NASA selected Astranis, Global Enterprise Solutions, and Viasat for Ka-band relay development.
The systems will preserve service continuity without modifying existing spacecraft onboard systems.
Awards may advance from concept development to in-orbit demonstrations through 2029.
Contracts could reach $1.0656 billion, advancing NASA’s commercial relay-satellite transition.
NASA Announces Ka-Band Satellite Relay Awards for Space Communications
NASA has selected three companies to develop concepts for Ka-band satellite relay services. The work aims to keep communications available to spacecraft already in orbit, including missions whose hardware cannot be changed to use newer commercial systems.
The awards mark another step in NASA’s shift toward buying communications services from industry. Rather than rely only on agency-owned relay satellites, NASA plans to become one customer in a broader commercial marketplace.
Three companies will develop relay concepts
NASA selected Astranis Space Technologies Corp., Global Enterprise Solutions Inc. and Viasat Inc. The firm-fixed-price contracts have maximum potential values, including all future options, of:
- Astranis: $264.3 million
- Global Enterprise Solutions: $340.4 million
- Viasat: $460.9 million
Those figures represent possible contract totals, not guaranteed payments. NASA may provide additional funding, up to each award’s limit, if it exercises options to advance the work. The contracts begin with concept development and risk reduction, with a potential path to an in-orbit flight demonstration.
The initial period of performance runs from Nov. 4 through May 3, 2027. Priced options could extend the work through 2029.
The awards fall under Appendix E of NASA’s Next Space Technologies for Exploration Partnerships-3 Broad Agency Announcement. The effort will seek complete service solutions, including spacecraft, ground systems, launch, operations and integration. NASA has not announced the outcome of the development work or whether any company will proceed to a flight demonstration.
Continuity is central to NASA’s transition
NASA’s Space Communications and Navigation program, known as SCaN, is facilitating the work through its Communications Services Project. The effort supports NASA’s plan to gradually retire its Tracking and Data Relay Satellite fleet and rely more on commercial communications services for future missions.
That transition must account for spacecraft already in orbit. Some cannot feasibly modify their flight hardware, and some cannot move to commercial services that use incompatible systems. Ka-band relay capability could help preserve service for those missions without requiring changes to their onboard equipment.
The approach offers a practical route to continuity, but it also makes compatibility and integration central requirements. NASA is seeking services that connect space and ground systems and support operations—not just a satellite relay in orbit. The agency’s staged contract structure allows it to assess concepts and reduce risks before deciding whether to fund later phases.
The awards do not mean NASA is replacing every existing capability at once. Instead, they support a gradual shift while addressing the needs of missions that cannot readily adapt. That balance will matter as NASA evaluates commercial options alongside its current communications infrastructure.
Learn more about NASA’s Network Extension for User Continuity and Sustainability Ka-band service acquisition at NASA’s program page.
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